


I Believe We'll Be Ok

by TazersKaner (msrogersstark)



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Cuddling, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 20:35:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1721744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msrogersstark/pseuds/TazersKaner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’s been keeping an eye on Matt for a while now, and his emotions have ranged from hurt, to sad, to nothing at all. It depends on the mood of the day and the scenario but Patrick hasn’t seen Matt like this for a while.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Believe We'll Be Ok

**Author's Note:**

> This is because I was reading this primer: http://the-con-cept.livejournal.com/625335.html and I got this idea from her hints about wanting one of these fics.  
> \--  
> Please let me know what you think! I've never written this pairing before.  
> \--  
> Title from: Be Okay by Oh Honey :)

Matt has been sad all year, that much is obvious to Patrick. He’s been shunned, he’s been torn apart, told he’s not good enough and benched and Patrick just wants to show Matt how amazing he is.

 

A little bit of Patrick’s attraction to Matt has to do with the fact that Matt grew up idolizing him (they’ve certainly explored that in bed) but most of it happens because, well he’s Matt. He’s his perky center who happens to have a thing for old guys that appreciate him. Patrick is perfectly ok with that.

 

He’s been keeping an eye on Matt for a while now, and his emotions have ranged from hurt, to sad, to nothing at all. It depends on the mood of the day and the scenario but Patrick hasn’t seen Matt like this for a while.

 

Matt leaves Patrick at the arena after a particularly bad game followed by a terrible practice, stating that he’s going to go and get some drinks with the guys. Patrick lets him go, figuring that, if Matt wants to let loose for a while, then so be it.

Patrick goes to the grocery store, trying to bide sometime. It’s not quite dinnertime yet, and there’s no way he’s going out alone tonight. He’s going to take advantage of Matt not being there and buy something gluten full. It’s true, he loves Matt and he doesn’t mind the fact that Matt wants to be healthy; it’s something he admires about him. But nothing beats pizza with a full crust and flour and no weird grains hidden in the edges. He buys the pizza as well as some beer and heads home.

 

When he gets there, Matt is sprawled out on the couch, watching an episode of the TV series that they normally watch together. Patrick looks to the TV (it’s a rerun) and then back at Matt and then to the food in his hand.

“I thought you were going out with the boys.” Patrick sets the food down on the kitchen counter and comes into the living room.

Matt is wearing his old Battalion shirt with a pair of Avs sweats that are too long for him. He’s only half watching the show, eyes fixed on Patrick now.

“I’m not.” He manages before going quiet again.

“I can see that.” Patrick huffs and comes into the living room, bending down next to Matt and feeling the burn in his legs.

He ruffles his hair gently. “If I’d known you’d be home, I would have gotten something else. You won’t eat what I’ve got now.”

“It’s ok. I’m not very hungry.” Matt shrugged and sunk away from Patrick’s touch. That never happens.

“Are you feeling ok?” Patrick stands up again, going over to the TV and turning it off.

Their living room is a little cramped for Patrick’s liking. He wanted to open up their kitchen and make a bit more space but Matt thought it was cozy. Besides, he’d said, they only needed one couch for them and a chair for Nate.

Matt just looked away. “I guess I’ll just be benched tomorrow so it won’t really matter.”

Patrick groaned inwardly. He’d tried to stay away from the incidents with Sacco, knowing Matt never wanted to bring it up. He didn’t need his psychologist anymore but Patrick knows the number is still in his phone, almost as if he didn’t trust that he wouldn’t breakdown again, even with Patrick’s encouragements.

He thinks they weren’t going to talk about this and he says so. Matt nods slightly.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have brought this up.”

He gets to his feet and shuffles off down the hallway towards their room.

 

Nate poked his head into the room. “Hey…” He trails off, seeing Patrick staring at the couch sadly. “Am I interrupting something?”

Patrick’s head snaps up at the sound. “No, no, dinner will be ready soon. Pizza tonight.”

“Normal pizza?” Nate asks, and grimaces, knowing that dieting is a thing with Patrick and Matt.

“Yes.”

Nate’s eyes widen. “Ok! I’m just going to take a quick shower and then I’ll be up.”

“No rush, I don’t think Matt will be joining us for dinner.”

 

 

Patrick knocks on their bedroom door about an hour later, a piece of gluten-free lasagna that Patrick had forgotten they had in the freezer, on a plate. When there was no answer, he slipped through the doorway and into their room.

Matt is curled on the bed, looking at the far wall and his eyes are wet. Patrick walks around one side of the bed and sets the food down on the nightstand. He knocks Matt’s book on the floor and, as he bends down to grab it, meets Matt’s eyes.

“I brought you food.” Patrick says softly, staying at eye level.

“I don’t want any.”

“That’s too bad.” Patrick retorted, handing him a fork.

Matt sat up slowly, taking the fork from Patrick. It appeared that he was going to pick up the lasagna; Patrick knew it was his favorite, but then he turned around and threw the fork at the wall.

Patrick felt anger rising inside him but he pushed it down. Getting mad at Matt would be the opposite of helpful right now. He sat down on the bed, watching as Matt, rolled away from him and planted his face in a pillow.

“Matt…” Patrick speaks up. “Why are you acting like this?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Matt mumbles into the pillow.

Patrick sighs long and heavy. “Ok. I’m going to talk then.”

“Whatever you think you’ve done,” He starts, “I’m not mad at you.”

Matt stays silent.

“I don’t know what you did but I assume it had something to do with yesterday’s game.”

Patrick pauses, waiting for Matt to say _something._ Instead, Matt just nods and goes back to staring at the white pillowcase.

“I’m not Joe.” He states for what feels like the thousandth time since he accepted this coaching position. “I’m not going to bench you, I’m not going to yell at you. I just want to help you.”

Matt rolls over, his hair messy from lying on the bed.

“I just…” He trails off, covering his mouth with his hand and going silent.

Patrick kicks off his shoes and collapses on the bed next to Matt.

“We’re going to be ok.” Patrick assures him, slipping an arm under Matt and pulling him in close.

“I’ve been so bad lately.” Matt practically sobs, giving in at Patrick’s kind words and allowing himself to be pulled in close. “I want to be good, I promise.”

Patrick slides one hand down Matt’s back gently and then up under the hem of his worn out, warm shirt. He let’s his hand stop between Matt’s shoulder blades and presses down gingerly, feeling the knots wound tight there.

“You will be good. You are good.” He presses a thumb down onto one knot and feels Matt’s body tense before relaxing under his touch. “Team Canada took you, for heavens sakes. You have to be good.”

“Team Canada sat me.” Matt reminds him, as though Patrick didn’t know that already.

“There were guys that weren’t even invited.” Patrick points out, working through one knot and moving onto the next one.

Matt whimpers quietly.

“I have faith in you, Matt. I believe in you.” Patrick explains, digging into the muscle before recoiling as Matt brings a hand up to slap at him. “Tomorrow, we’ll beat them.”

Matt lies there silently beside Patrick, trying to process the words of his coach, his lover. He believes Patrick, believes him wholeheartedly, it’s just so hard to believe they will be ok, when he’s sucking like he has been lately.

As he waits for Matt’s answer, Patrick picks up the now almost cold lasagna and hands it to Matt before leaving the bed to retrieve the fork. Matt accepts it without a word and watches Patrick’s back as he disappears down the stairs to go and clean up for the night.

 

Matt is asleep when Patrick returns back to the room. The lasagna plate is empty, set out again on the nightstand and Matt’s curled up with his arms around Patrick’s pillow, almost as if Matt thinks the pillow is actually Patrick. Envying the pillow, Patrick changes quickly, eager to be in Matt’s arms. He slips out of his casual clothes and into the pair of Avs pants that the team supplied him with before slipping the pillow from Matt’s grip and inserting himself there instead. Matt stirs and Patrick catches him whisper; “We’ll be ok.” It makes Patrick content enough to drift off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't had the inspiration to write lately so I'm sorry...


End file.
